Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Tashkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuching: $887 a month against $1,025 in Tashkent, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tashkent outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

43

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Tashkent
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Tashkent Living Index

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Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$887

/mo nomad

Tashkent

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$1,025

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuching and in Tashkent

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kuching and in Tashkent actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $887 in Kuching versus $1,025 in Tashkent.

Kuching $887
Tashkent $1,025

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,389 in Kuching versus $1,630 in Tashkent.

Kuching $1,389
Tashkent $1,630

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,892 in Kuching versus $2,234 in Tashkent.

Kuching $1,892
Tashkent $2,234

Living in Kuching costs roughly 13% less than in Tashkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuching 34% lower, Tashkent 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 MYR 13.60

$6.91 UZS 82.0K

-51.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.53 MYR 100

$33.76 UZS 400.7K

-27.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.87 MYR 19.89

$5.01 UZS 59.5K

-2.79%

Cappuccino

$3.17 MYR 12.93

$2.56 UZS 30.4K

23.83%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 MYR 3.04

$0.76 UZS 9,070

-2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.47

$0.34 UZS 4,022

5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 MYR 18.43

$2.17 UZS 25.7K

107.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 MYR 25.15

$3.84 UZS 45.6K

60.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 MYR 9.42

$1.35 UZS 16.0K

71.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 MYR 5.16

$0.83 UZS 9,811

51.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.68

$1.75 UZS 20.8K

-34.29%

Eggs

$2.46 MYR 10.03

$1.82 UZS 21.6K

35.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 MYR 44.72

$8.03 UZS 95.3K

36.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.17

$4.13 UZS 49.0K

7.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.90 MYR 40.42

$12.77 UZS 151.6K

-22.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.93

$1.56 UZS 18.5K

103.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MYR 5.59

$1.78 UZS 21.2K

-23.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 MYR 9.80

$2.35 UZS 27.9K

2.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.42

$1.73 UZS 20.5K

5.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.75

$0.57 UZS 6,715

147.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$0.42 UZS 4,967

183.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 MYR 6.35

$1.05 UZS 12.5K

48.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.22

$0.46 UZS 5,411

17.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 MYR 18.41

$1.99 UZS 23.7K

126.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.59 MYR 88.2

$7.58 UZS 90.0K

184.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.06 MYR 16.58

$1.34 UZS 15.8K

202.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 MYR 21.19

$3.54 UZS 42.1K

46.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 MYR 2.37

$0.15 UZS 1,828

286.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.36 MYR 50.5

$12.64 UZS 150.0K

-2.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$0.84 UZS 9,946

19.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$0.36 UZS 4,311

244.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 MYR 33.99

$3.43 UZS 40.7K

142.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 MYR 3.68

$1.17 UZS 13.9K

-23.08%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$40.9K MYR 167.2K

$16.7K UZS 198.0M

145.55%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$36.1K MYR 147.4K

$24.7K UZS 292.8M

46.39%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$35.18 MYR 144

$67.5 UZS 800.8K

-47.86%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$9.95 MYR 40.63

$4.46 UZS 52.9K

123.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.26 MYR 103

$13.75 UZS 163.2K

83.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.24 MYR 123

$63.7 UZS 756.0K

-52.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.38 MYR 50.6

$18.97 UZS 225.2K

-34.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.83 MYR 19.72

$6.02 UZS 71.5K

-19.77%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$135 MYR 551

$333 UZS 3.9M

-59.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,000 MYR 28.6K

$9,395 UZS 111.5M

-25.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 MYR 258

$50.7 UZS 602.3K

24.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 MYR 154

$59.3 UZS 704.4K

-36.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 MYR 368

$111 UZS 1.3M

-18.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.8 MYR 269

$137 UZS 1.6M

-52.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 MYR 1,471

$595 UZS 7.1M

-39.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 MYR 1,001

$376 UZS 4.5M

-34.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 MYR 2,642

$1,177 UZS 14.0M

-45.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MYR 1,953

$727 UZS 8.6M

-34.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,073 MYR 8,464

$1,653 UZS 19.6M

25.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,508 MYR 6,157

$941 UZS 11.2M

60.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$530 MYR 2,165

$712 UZS 8.5M

-25.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

23.31

-81.25%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kuching: October 5, 2026

Last update for Tashkent: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Kuching

$271 30.7%

Tashkent

$197 19% 27.4% $74

Accommodation & Living

Kuching

$245 27.8%

Tashkent

$376 36.3% 53.5% $131

Eating Out

Kuching

$119 13.4%

Tashkent

$124 12% 4.5% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Kuching

$116 13.1%

Tashkent

$161 15.6% 39.6% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuching

$70 8%

Tashkent

$86 8.3% 21.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Kuching

$40 4.5%

Tashkent

$76 7.3% 89.8% $36

Getting Around

Kuching

$22 2.5%

Tashkent

$16 1.5% 27.3% $6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $360 in Kuching and $595 in Tashkent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tashkent pays 34% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Kuching vs $34.00 in Tashkent. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $197, with Tashkent cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuching

🇺🇿 Tashkent

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

13:48 1:48 PM

3 h behind Kuching

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

349,147

2,956,384 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.42 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UZS, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11,870 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.42 USD). 1 EUR = 13,313 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.51 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kuching Tashkent 6,030 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuching
Tashkent

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Kuching vs Tashkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuching is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Tashkent. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $360 in Kuching versus $595 in Tashkent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuching – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $34.00 in Tashkent. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $887 per month in Kuching versus $1,025 in Tashkent – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $887 in Kuching versus $1,025 in Tashkent, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuching but tight or insufficient in Tashkent. The gap between the two cities makes Kuching the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kuching is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tashkent, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kuching and Tashkent are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kuching gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Tashkent. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.